Unconventional

is latest strike, dropping the hammer in disbelief. Spilling out from behind the demolished wall, falling into the chamber… was a shimmering waterfall of gold coins.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

“I… I can’t believe it.”

Noah’s words echoed what we were all thinking. That it wasn’t happening. That none of this could possibly be real.

Then Chase knelt down and sifted one hand through the shimmering, glimmering pile. The sound it made was the most beautiful noise in the world.

“Holy fuck, Madison.”

He dropped the coins noisily to the floor. He stood up, reached into the hole they’d created… and pulled out two more handfuls of gold.

“HOLY FUCK, MADISON!”

He flung the coins in the air, then cackled loudly and crushed me against him. I felt Julian’s arms around the both of us too. And eventually even Noah’s, although I think he was more in shock than the rest of us.

“Wha— What did—”

“We just found the Westgate treasure horde!” I squealed, cutting him off.

Noah still looked dazed and confused. “W—We did?”

“Actually she did,” exclaimed Chase, pointing at the cat. “But yeah, I… Oh my GOD…”

Julian was pulling more stones down from the wall, which better revealed the opening. Two rotted chests had been spilling their contents into the cavity for centuries. There were piles of silver. Stacks of gold. Precious ingots piled next to a hammered silver bowl, adorned with writing and religious symbols.

“What the—”

I saw the glimmer of jewels. Rings and bracelets and wire braids, even a ruby brooch. And there was chain, too. Heavy chain, forged out of gold links. A method of keeping money handy, that I’d read about in my uncle’s books.

I sunk my hands into the wall, and came back with a beautifully-wrought silver pin. It shined as brightly as the day it was made.

“Look at th—”

Julian took the pin from my hands, and gently guided it through the fabric of my long T-shirt. It looked odd there; a centuries-old piece of history, pushed through a twenty-first century novelty sleep-shirt.

“You’re rich,” Julian smiled down at me. “Filthy rich.”

“We’re rich,” I corrected him. “All of us.”

Noah let out a scream of triumph that rocked the chamber. Reality had finally caught up with him.

“The cat’s super-rich,” Chase pointed, to where the calico was sniffing a pile of newly-spilled coins. It pawed at the horde a few times before finally deciding to lay down in it.

Noah showed up, grinning like his face would break. He threw his big arms around the both of us, squeezing us together uncomfortably, cackling at the top of his lungs until he finally let go.

“Do you know what this means?” he said, grabbing Chase and shaking him. “Do you know what this means?”

“I finally get to fly first class?” Chase quipped.

Noah punched him in the arm, nearly knocking him over, then hugged him again. The two of them went back to removing more of the wall, this time being careful where they threw the stones.

“This changes everything, you know,” I sighed happily, turning back to Julian. “He’s right.”

But the stonemason slowly shook his head. “Not everything.” He took my hands in his. “At least not for us.”

There was a warmth in his storm-grey eyes that assuaged my fears. Some of them, anyway. Noah was right of course — after tonight, nothing would ever be the same. But some things… well…